Zelenskyy to visit South Africa on Thursday
PRETORIA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to arrive for a state visit on Thursday.
High on the agenda will be the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has been at the forefront of the African Peace Initiative.
WATCH | Discussion | SA, Ukraine to forge closer ties
He called Zelenskyy to show support after the famous fallout in the Oval Office.
Ramaphosa also called for inclusive peace talks after it appeared Ukraine would be left out of negotiations.
Liubov Abravitova, Ukraine's Ambassador to South Africa, discusses this more with eNCA.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
an hour ago
- TimesLIVE
Ramaphosa names 31 'eminent people' to champion national dialogue
President Cyril Ramaphosa will be calling a national convention on August 15, which will set the agenda for the national dialogue. Ramaphosa also announced the appointment of an eminent persons group of 31 people, who he said will guide and champion the national dialogue and act as the guarantors of an inclusive, constructive and credible process. In an announcement on Tuesday, Ramaphosa said the national convention will represent the diversity of the South African nation and will be a representative gathering, bringing together government, political parties, civil society, business, labour, traditional leaders, religious leaders, cultural workers, sports organisations, women, youth and community voices, among others. 'Through their various political, social and other formations, in their workplaces, in places of worship, communities, villages and sites of learning, South Africans will in the months following the national convention be encouraged to be in dialogue to define our nation's path into the future,' Ramaphosa said. The views, concerns and proposals that will emerge will be brought together at a second national convention, planned for the beginning of next year. Ramaphosa said there was broad agreement that given the challenges the country was facing at the moment, the national dialogue should be convened. 'The idea of holding a dialogue is not a new concept in our country. In many ways having dialogues is part of our DNA as a nation. At every important moment in the history of our country, we have come together as a nation to confront our challenges and forge a path into the future in dialogue with one another.'
Daily Maverick
an hour ago
- Daily Maverick
No contracts, no clarity – almost a year of the GNU and still no ministerial scorecards
As the first anniversary of the Government of National Unity draws near, ministerial performance agreements have yet to materialise. South Africa's 10-party coalition turns one this month, but signed ministerial performance agreements – an important accountability tool – are still nowhere in sight. However, the Presidency says the work of government is not hampered by the absence of performance agreements. 'The process is under way and remains between the President and the concerned members of Cabinet. There are enough public accountability measures through Parliament when APPs (annual performance plans) are presented and assessed,' Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told Daily Maverick this week. In a response to Parliament in August 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa said Cabinet ministers would only sign performance contracts once the 2024-29 Medium-Term Development Plan, which outlines the key priorities for the seventh administration, had been approved. The Medium-Term Development Plan was approved by the Cabinet in February, but ministers' performance agreements still seem some way off. President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed a bloated Cabinet and executive (32 ministers and 44 deputy ministers) to accommodate the parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU). The GNU Statement of Intent outlines the gargantuan government's agenda and strategic priorities. But, as Bhaso Ndzende, an associate professor of politics and international relations at the University of Johannesburg, wrote, exactly how each minister is to contribute to the realisation of these priorities is unclear in the absence of performance agreements. Previously, the ministerial performance agreements of the sixth administration were based on the 2019-2024 Medium-Term Strategic Framework, and ran from June 2019 to April 2024. But most of the agreements were signed only in late 2020. In his 2020 State of the Nation Address, Ramaphosa pledged to publish the agreements online, in an attempt at transparency. However, progress on those agreements was never made public. It's unclear whether the President will choose to make the performance agreements of the current administration public. Political analyst Professor Susan Booysen, says it could be a gamble so close to the 2026 local government elections. Booysen, however, said she regards ministerial performance agreements to be 'extremely important'. 'They can be a great accountability tool, not just internally for the ANC – and that would've been in times when it was just the ANC in power – but also now, in times of coalition. It would really help specify what the exact expectations are [and] what the exact permissions,' she said. Booysen said these agreements would define what was expected of each minister and what each minister was allowed to do. This is crucial because there have already been tensions and disagreements between coalition partners over responsibilities, with ministers being accused of overstepping or claiming credit for work started before their time, she said. 'We have seen that kind of acrimonious exchange happening, and a performance agreement would help spell out in exact details what it is that the expectations and requirements are,' she said. DA spokesperson Willie Aucamp told Daily Maverick that 'there [haven't] been any targets that have been set'. 'We believe, from the DA's side, that it is very important to get targets set. You must have measurables to be measured on,' he said. Aucamp said the DA supported making the contracts public, for South Africans to assess the work of the executive. 'Should the President not make [them] public, the ministers from the DA will make their targets public, as well as the achievement thereon,' he said. The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Good and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) told Daily Maverick they would support the publication of the performance contracts. IFP national spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Transport Mkhuleko Hlengwa described performance contracts as 'important tools to measure performances against the desired and set targets'. 'The IFP ministers and deputy ministers are visibly hard at work with or without the performance agreements because they know the commitments and the agreements they made with the voters,' he said. Good's secretary-general Brett Herron said the party 'fully [supports] meaningful performance agreements for members of the executive' and expected them to be 'concluded soon' given that the Medium-Term Development Plan had been adopted and the Budget had been tabled in Parliament. He said: 'We must remember that the GNU Cabinet was appointed in June 2024 – thus the executive has really been implementing the final few months of the previous term of office's performance plans. The delay in finalising the performance agreements is somewhat explicable in this context, though it is reasonable for the South African public to expect performance agreements to be wrapped up now and ready for signature – now that we have a governing programme and hopefully a Medium Term Budget to implement it.' However, Wouter Wessels, MP and national spokesperson for the FF Plus, said the party believed the finalising of ministerial performance agreements was taking too long. 'We do believe that performance agreements are an important component of accountability. Ministerial performance is, however, not solely dependent on such agreements… The conclusion of these agreements [is] taking much too long. We believe this should be expedited,' he told Daily Maverick. On whether to make them public, Wessels said: 'There is no need to keep such agreements secret.' 'Effective accountability can only take place in the presence of transparency,' he said. DM
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
What to expect from the National Dialogue in August
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the National Dialogue will be held in August. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially announced the launch of a nationwide and inclusive National Dialogue. The initiative is aimed at reshaping South Africa's future in the face of deep social and economic challenges and comes amid rising inequality, unemployment, crime, and systemic corruption. Ramaphosa revealed that a National Convention will be convened on August 15, bringing together leaders from across political, civil, religious, traditional, and business sectors. This convention will mark the formal start of a people-led, society-wide process to reflect on the state of the nation and forge a new shared vision for South Africa. 'At every turning point in our history—from ending apartheid to building democracy—it has been dialogue that led us forward,' Ramaphosa stated, adding that dialogue is in South African DNA. Ramaphosa emphasised that these 'persistent wounds' demand urgent, collective action, and a renewed national compact. The National Dialogue will not be a single event, but a phased, participatory process unfolding through local consultations, sectoral discussions, and provincial gatherings. It will culminate in a second convention in early 2026, where a national programme of action will be adopted, according to the president. To oversee the process, Ramaphosa has appointed an Eminent Persons Group—a diverse body of respected South Africans tasked with guiding and championing the dialogue. 'This is a call to every South African—young and old, rural and urban, from all communities—to help define our common future,' said the President. 'Together, we must shape the next chapter of our democracy.' Among others, the group includes Bishop Barnabas Lekganyane, leader of the Zion Christian Church, Grace Bishop Engenas Lekganyane, leader of the St Engenas Zion Christian Church, Bheki Ntshalintshali, unionist and former COSATU General Secretary and Siya Kolisi, Springbok captain and world champion. The Dialogue is expected to align with South Africa's Vision 2030 and reinvigorate the National Development Plan with fresh consensus and commitment. [email protected] IOL Politics
